I’m an early riser. I feel most comfortable getting up at least a half hour before the sun does, and allowing the rest of my drowsiness to be burned off by thick coffee and the warmth of dawn. There’s a delicate, quiet absence hovering in the world before 6 am, and I feel like I have found an ambient scent that can carry me from the stillness to the sturm und drang inDawn Spencer Hurwitz Albino (A Study in White)

Robert Ryman untitled 1965

Albino (A Study in White), (a top ten Art and Olfaction Award finalist (Artisan Category 2016), is a scented meditation on absence itself, in this case of color. Dawn says this about the inspiration for the fragrance: “What is it to be without pigment? There seems to be a kind of quality; a luminosity and sense of lightness. “White” materials…and a questioning: what does white feel like?”

Robert Ryman Series #9 (White) 2004 oil on canvas

This luminosity and lightness feels like many things as Albino transitions from one mode to another. The scent opens with a decidedly pithy grapefruit accord and a bright pop of pale raspberry and dry, soapy basil. This opening is exactly what I’m looking for in a pre-dawn ambassador– a light scent that mirrors the many bright and aromatic scents found in our kitchen. There is a definite luminosity here, of a similar feel to when I begin my morning meditation practice with a long, full in-breath. Albino has deep lungs that open right along with its exhilarating citrus rush.

Robert Ryman Untitled 1956

After several minutes, the grapefruit and basil round into rhubarb in the heart, along with a kind of white chocolate/sandalwoody creaminess emanating up from under the grapefruit rind. This transition from bitter rind to sumptuous, thick sweetness is a delight – similar to the tang morning coffee carries before you add a dollop of half and half.

White Magic Robert Ryman, Rudolf Staffel

I found myself musing on this idea of “whiteness” as Albino continued developing – and began to visualize the “white space” that this perfume creates as it grows. Albino doesn’t assert itself as a scent as much as it outlines the texture of the air with grace notes of pithiness or creaminess or dryness. It is citrusy without juice, sweet without lulling the palate, and dry as the drifting motes in a low-ceilinged attic. It provides a soft, welcoming punctuation to words that haven’t been given voice yet.

The drydown continues this transparent austerity as a combination of white oak and white cognac notes combine with musk in the base. Here the musk echoes the astringency of the grapefruit pith, while blond wood tones mimic the waxy undertones of the basil note. The final phase of Albino releases its last whispered syllable to join with the pale light’s departure as the day begins.

Robert Ryman, Twin (1965) MOMA

As to what the question of what “white feels like” – as expressed in this scent, it feels like welcome. Albino is a companion scent for those of us drawn to the dawn, while we still are half-aware and without words to enter into it.

Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, I used the mixed media of American Artist Robert Ryman, who is known for his white on white abstract paintings. I love this quote because it really brings to mind Pam’s review and Dawn’s own quote. Ryman said, “White has a tendency to make things visible. With white, you can see more of a nuance; you can see more”.

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz white on white (by Michelyn)

Albino A Study in White was Dawn composed in 2015, and was one of the outstanding fragrances she created last year that I felt earned her our CaFleureBon Best in Scent Perfumer of The Year.You can meet Dawn and many indie perfumers at AIX (Artisan Independent Experimantal Scent Fair which will be held May 8, 2016 at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles and is free to the public. For a complete list of participants and workshops click here.

Thanks to the generosity of DSH Perfumes, there is a draw for our US registered reader for a 10 ml spray eau de parfum and a sample for EU and Canada. To be eligible please leave a comment with what appeals to you about Albino (A Study in White), based on Pam’s review, if you have a favorite DSH Perfumes and where you live. Draw closes 5/1/2016

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebonand use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume

I love this, this is absolutely my favorite ever of your wonderful woven stories. Ryman, his outsider status as a museum guard and his experimentation with white, with surfaces … amazingly deep and nuanced. I love that two of his works sold at auction a year ago for 20million.

May 8 at the Hammer, so happy in my town.

The transparent austerity, the patience and understanding of Ryman’s art, the purity of Albino A Study In White, beautiful (and so many meanings).

I once heard from a painter that there are many variations of white. It is actually quite interesting how many there really are. Learning how one created this by going through the different notes and nuances is a great way to immerse oneself into this abstract. Very cool. It sounds like another interesting fragrance to try. Thank you. I don’t believe I have tried a DSH yet.

Ooh – this sounds really interesting. I have yet to try many scents that feature rhubarb, so I’m very curious about it. I’m also intrigued by the combination of raspberry and basil. I don’t have a favorite DSH perfume, but one that I’ve been very interested in trying is Au Lait! Thanks for the draw, I’m in the US!

I am intrigued because this fragrance is a tribute to the color white that is one of my favorite colors and most favorite color in cars. This fragrance also reminds one of mornings and the aromas in the kitchen. My favorite DSH creation is Firefly. I am in the US

I am drawn to the dawn, I just wish I went to sleep earlier so that I could enjoy it more often. I like the sens of half awareness that Pam describes, when we don’t have words to explain what we feel and we just feel the whiteness and the fuzzy light. I have tried Seven by DSH Perfumes and I liked that one as a nice unisex fragrance. I am in VA, U.S.A.

Sometimes my daughter awakes very early and we experience the awakening of a new day. We both love it. I don’t know any DSH perfume yet but I would like to testthis.
I live in the EU. Thanks for the draw!

My samples and scents from DSH takes up a rather large box. Dawn is prolific and I seem to love it all! I have not tried this new one but it sounds very nice. If I don’t win, I’m sure it will be on my next lot of samples i order! Dawn’s exploration of color series was very interesting I loved Celedon, and can’t wit to try this one.
USA

I don’t think I’ve ever seen rhubarb as a fragrance note in any perfume before! Love the sound of the dry down. It sounds so warm and comforting. I’ve never tried and DSH fragrances before but I’m browsing their website and I am intrigued by her unique combination of notes in her perfumes, particularly Hansa Yellow.
I live in the U.S.

Pithiness and creaminess? I already wanted to try Albino for the white grapefruit opening I’ve heard about, but now I am really curious about the textures evoked by the accords. I haven’t tried any DSH and am in the US. Thanks.

I’m and early riser and drink and a heavy coffee drinker and Albino would be ideal for me! The grapefruit opening sounds amazing and I’m intrigued by the rhubarb and tonka bean. Unfortunately, I haven’t tried any of DSH fragrances and this would be a first. I live in the US and thanks for the draw! 🙂

Although dawn is hardly my time of day, if anything it’s more like my time to go to bed if given the choice, I love the idea of luminosity and a sense of lightness. Perhaps something that is needed no matter when we rise. The notes of this fragrance sound wonderful, I would really love to explore what white feels like, thanks for the chance. I am in the US.